Winter months good for outdoor activities

Submitted photo/ Migrating snow geese resting at the Schell-Osage Wildlife Area .

Nevada Daily Mail

December is nearly half gone and a lot of outdoorsmen and women can't wait until spring to get outside, and there are many others who look forward to the winter months for a variety of reasons.

Hunters like Carl Ferguson, of Sedalia, who has hunted rabbits for more than 40 years, said, "That first snow means it's time to go rabbit hunting. I still use my 22 rifle when I go after cottontails. My dad told me years ago that after the first snow the rabbits are at their best and the hunting can be very good. He never used a shotgun to get his rabbits because he said he didn't like to pick out the shot when eating them. Of course, the number of rabbits aren't like they were back in the 'good old days,' but there are still places where there are huntable numbers."

Submitted photo Wood Ducks in a cove on Table Rock Lake.

Anglers, including myself, love to catch crappie and big bass and have found that December can be one of the best months to catch them. Recently, the crappie fishing has been very good on area lakes with limits of big crappie not uncommon.

Many big bass are taken as well. Jack Brown, Marshall, hits Table Rock each year just before Christmas and has taken some of his largest bass of the year. Last year, on Dec. 22, Brown caught the largest bass in his 36 years of fishing Table Rock.

"I was fishing near Kimberling City using a twin spin when I felt a light strike, but when I set the hook, I knew it was a big fish. After what seemed like an hour, I was able to net the finny fighter and when I weighed it, tipped the scales at just over nine pounds. You don't catch a lot of fish, but the ones you do land are big ones," he said.

Submitted photo Above: A migrating loon on Stockton Lake.

Even the catfishing can be good during the winter. John Clark of Topeka Kan., catches limits of channel cats as long as there is open water in one of the big impoundments. Clark was fishing last week and using cut shad,.He caught 12 catfish and released all but four of the smallest ones. "It was a cold day, but the fish were hitting and I didn't mind the cold," he said.

Joan Roberts, Carthage, is one of the growing number of "birders.' Roberts looks forward to winter when she feeds and watches the hundred of winter birds that use her six feeders.

"I have counted as many as 14 different species of birds using my feeders. I use a lot of sunflower seeds during the winter, but its well worth it. My children and grandchildren really enjoy watching the birds and love to help me fill up the feeders," she said.

Submitted photo Shots like this are easier to take in winter.

For many bird watchers, this time of year is the best time to see our national symbol, the bald eagle. In some places, including the Squaw Creek Wildlife Area near Mound City, eagle watchers may see close to a hundred eagles concentrated in the area. A sight like that is memorable and during the next few months is the best time to see them With leafless trees and open viewing, now is the best time to observe eagles, although, there are bald eagles that stay in Missouri year-round. And each year, there are more nesting birds in the state.

Even campers and outdoor photographers take advantage of the winter months. Fred Davis of Independence, is an amateur photographer who gets some of his beat shots during the winter.

"There are fewer obstacles in the way when shooting wildlife in the winter. There are also fewer people and it's easier to get closer to wildlife. I have taken photos of animals that I wouldn't see any other time of the year. Winter wildlife like turkeys, fox, coyote, deer and a number of birds make great subjects to photograph in the winter. Now that you can see more in the woods than in other seasons, getting a good shot is better. In the Ozarks, with all the big impoundments available it gives amateur wildlife photographers plenty of subjects to shoot," he said.

At a meeting in Jefferson City this week, I met Larry Marshall, who told me he had hunted for more than 30 years and has never fired a gun. He said, "I have hunted deer, turkey and other game with success by using my camera to record my outdoor adventures."

Just last Saturday, Ned Butler of Columbia, made a visit to Table Rock and shot photos of loons, eagles, deer and turkeys. He said, "I passed up the big MU-Alabama football game so I could take a walk in the woods, with my camera, along the lake. The way the game came out, I was glad I made the decision to hit a trail instead of sitting in front of the television. Besides, I had it taped just in case there might be an upset that I could watch later."

Butler pointed out that today's digital cameras and even cell phones have a camera which has made it even easier to get a shot of wildlife. Instead of getting a few shots with film and waiting to get the film developed, with a digital camera an amateur photographer can make a lot of exposures and see the results immediately.

With all the trails available in the Ozarks, it's a good idea to carry a camera along when walking one of these trails. You never know what you might see, and wish you had brought your camera along to capture the moment.

It may be difficult to get a good shot of wildlife, but when you do, it can be very rewarding.